Federal government: ministries and agencies
Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs of Somalia (Wasaaradda Cadaaladda)
Somalia's Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs leads the constitutional review, drafts and reviews laws, supports the courts, prisons and legal aid, and proposes members of judicial bodies. Hassan Moalim Mohamud Sheikh Ali is minister. In October 2026 he said putting the newly approved constitution into effect could take up to five years.
What it does
- The constitution: it led the federal side of the 13-year review of the 2012 Provisional Constitution. It welcomed parliament's approval of the amended constitution in 2026 (SONNA), and met the member states' justice ministers on finishing it (AllAfrica, November 2025). In January 2026 it rejected claims that key actors had been left out of the review (AllAfrica, January 2026; ConstitutionNet).
- Judicial bodies: it proposes members of judicial bodies. In July 2026 the cabinet approved its nominees to the new Supreme Judicial Council (Dawan Africa, July 2026). See Somalia's courts.
- Prisons and justice services: it works with partners on courts, prisons and legal aid. In August 2026 it marked the close of the UN mission's support to justice and prisons (Dawan Africa, August 2026). See International bodies in Somalia.
- Training: it sends officials for training, for example to Egypt on new forms of crime and digital transformation (SONNA).
Who leads it
- Minister: Hassan Moalim Mohamud Sheikh Ali (Ministry of Justice, the minister). Spellings of his name vary between sources.
- State Minister: Ilyas Sheikh Omar (Ministry of Justice, state minister).
In 2026
- Implementing the constitution: on 14 October 2026 the minister said putting the new constitution into effect could take up to five years (Dawan Africa, October 2026).
- MPs in the cabinet: on 26 October 2026 he said that separating members of parliament from the cabinet straight away would create a constitutional vacuum (Dawan Africa, October 2026).
- The term dispute: in November 2026 five judges of the Constitutional Division ruled that the terms of the President and parliament had ended; the Attorney General's office said the ruling had no legal effect. See Attorney General.
How to use it
- Laws and the constitution: the ministry publishes legal texts and news on moj.gov.so; the constitution is on the Constitute Project and ConstitutionNet sites.
- A court case or complaint about a judge: go to the court, or to the Supreme Judicial Council for judges' conduct.
Its legal basis
The 2012 Provisional Constitution, as amended on 30 March 2024 and 4 March 2026; the ministry's mandate is set by the Council of Ministers.
Sources
- SONNA · sonna.so
- AllAfrica, November 2025 · allafrica.com
- AllAfrica, January 2026 · allafrica.com
- ConstitutionNet · constitutionnet.org
- Dawan Africa, July 2026 · dawan.africa
- Dawan Africa, August 2026 · dawan.africa
- SONNA · sonna.so
- Ministry of Justice, the minister · moj.gov.so
- Ministry of Justice, state minister · moj.gov.so
- Dawan Africa, October 2026 · dawan.africa
- Dawan Africa, October 2026 · dawan.africa
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Where this matters
Same era
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- Bristol (Somali diaspora)9,167 people in Bristol identified as Somali or Somalilander in Census 2021, the city's largest minority group. Where they live, work, housing, leaders and ties home.
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- DjiboutiAbout 13,900 refugees from Somalia live in Djibouti (Aug 2026): numbers since 1990, Ali Addeh, Holl-Holl, the 2017 refugee law, Arta 2000 and 2025 returns.
Keep reading
- Every federal government body in Somalia and its budget, 2025 to 2027A directory of every body in Somalia's federal budget: ministries, agencies, courts, commissions and security forces, with 2025 spending, 2026 budget and 2027 proposed budget in US dollars, and a CSV download.
- The Federal Government of Somalia: how it is organisedHow Somalia's federal government is built: its history since 2012, its branches, ministries, agencies and independent offices, how it relates to the member states, its staff and budget, and where to find each part.
- Somalia's federal government: the President, the Prime Minister and the Council of MinistersHow Somalia's federal executive works: the President's powers, the Prime Minister, the Council of Ministers, the list of ministries, and presidents since 1960.
- Ministry of Education of Somalia (Wasaaradda Waxbarashada): what it doesWhat Somalia's federal education ministry does: curriculum, national exams, teachers, school counts and higher education, how it shares the work with the member states, and the separate ministries in Puntland and Somaliland.
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Somalia (Wasaaradda Arrimaha Dibadda): embassies and diplomacyWhat Somalia's foreign ministry does, who leads it, where Somalia has embassies, the main issues in 2024 to 2026, and what Somalis abroad can get from an embassy.
- Ministry of Health of Somalia (Wasaaradda Caafimaadka): what it doesWhat Somalia's federal health ministry does: policy, vaccines, medicines, coordination of aid; who leads it; its budget 2025 to 2027; what it reports doing in 2026; and how the work is shared with Puntland, Somaliland and the member states.